Dahi, God of the Sea & Love

(a.k.a. The Spectrum)

Placidity and beauty. Depth and danger. Vast horizons of buoyant potential. Suffocating ends alone in the cold and dark. Dahi bestows all of these to each of us.

— Barehu Haroum, Storm's Eye Temple priest

Neither good nor evil, male nor female, feared nor beloved, this Saveen god often confuses foreigners. Dahi offers meaning in contrasts, the capacity to appreciate darkness in respect to light and to enjoy happiness without forgetting that sadness will eventually return. The Spectrum is sacred; without it there is no meaning in life.

Divine Domains

Are not the sea and love equally mysterious, equally dangerous, equally inspiring?

— Avedda Shaid, priest

What most confuses those from outside Saveen culture is that this seemingly heartless god presides over romantic love and marriage. They are used to gods of love that come with soft assurances of eternal bliss, promises that the initial burst of problem-smoothing passion is all there is to the conjugal union of souls. Saveen prefer their god, who reminds them that relationships will face trials, the shine will wear off. If we are not prepared for this, we will not be ready to put in the work required to continue. We will not be able to surmount these dark times and use them to make both ourselves and our relationships stronger for them. Instead, expecting nothing but eternal contentment, our love will crumble when subjected to pressure.
Though she does not look forward to them, the sailor accepts that sometimes storms will come, and she does her best to prepare for them in order to keep her ship from sinking.

Holy Books & Codes

I sink and die.
I rise and breath.
And through it all, the waters carry me.

Waves is a book of collected poetry written by priests of Dahi over centuries. Meant for memorization and meditation, some are only three lines long, while the longest is forty pages in standard hand.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

A straight, horizontal line across a circle, with an exaggerated spiral of a wave in the center. When represented in color, it is usually an ombre that begins with near black at the bottom and lightens to a bright sky blue within the wave, with a black or white sky.
Faithful often carry prayers beads for use in meditation. These also come in shades of blue.
The lahna flower seems out of place among all of Dahi's oceanic imagery, but the need for its bulb to experience a freeze before it can blossom into the beautiful, multi-stemmed sprays that dot the Singing Archipelago is an inspiring symbol for the necessity of the Spectrum's gifts.

Tenets of Faith

Dahi frowns on any kind of divination magic. Rise and fall with the waters, expecting nothing and accepting everything as it occurs. To dabble in fortune telling is to be tempted to react to events that have not occured. What will be will be. In life and in love, enjoy the pleasures and use the trials to strengthen and better understand yourself.

Holidays

Dahi's holy days are the summer and winter solstices, the days of the year with the greatest light and greatest darkness.
Summer is a time of raucous celebration for most. Many are the marriages that take place in Gepesh on this day. There are others, however, who choose to engage in quiet contemplation. This is especially true of individuals who are facing difficult times in their lives--grieving over a loved one, recovering from a bad break-up, struggling financially. These people use the day to remind themselves that everything exists in a cycle, and they will eventually return to a place of peace or joy.
Winter Solstice is a time of quiet reflection for all in the faith. Whether they are facing their own dark period or thinking of others who are, they pray for Dahi's guidance and for the strength to grow in darkness until the light returns.

Divine Classification

God

Portfolio

Oceans
Love
Learning in Adversity
Living in the Moment